(CNN) - While she still hasn't made up her mind on a run for the White House, a new national poll suggests that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is making gains against President Barack Obama in a hypothetical 2012 general election matchup.

According to a McClatchy-Marist survey, the GOP's 2008 vice presidential nominee trails Obama 49 to 44 percent in a hypothetical showdown, after trailing by 21 points in an August poll and 26 points in a June survey. The poll indicates that Palin now leads the president among crucial independent voters.FULL POST

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) - Republican leaders in Congress have asked Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to refrain from any further monetary stimulus during policy makers' two-day meeting ending Wednesday.

"Respectfully, we submit that the board should resist further extraordinary interventions in the U.S. economy, particularly without a clear articulation of the goals of such a policy, direction for success, ample data proving a case for economic action and quantifiable benefits to the American people," read a letter from Republican leaders and addressed to Bernanke.